The advantage of using a Load More button rather than lazy loading the content is the user chooses to see more content or view the rest of the page. The disadvantage of using a Load More button is the user must click and scroll rather than simply scroll.
Which is Better For UX?
Both can have a good user experience, but which is best for UX depends on how they’re used. Lazy loading and pagination both serve a different purpose.
Lazy loading provides an infinite scroll, which can keep users on your website longer. Users tend to get caught in the mindless scroll and just keep going until something catches their eye. Scrolling is intuitive, so users won’t have to do anything else to see new content. However, it’s more difficult to see certain types of content or to find content they’ve already scrolled past.
Pagination provides a consistent user experience. It takes the same space on the page, so the page never needs to change its size. The controls require extra clicks, but they’re intuitive. It provides users the ability to select certain pages, so they can see older content easily.
Overall, I find pagination to be more user-friendly. For example, if I saw a blog post that I wanted to come back to see, I’d look at the page number and go to that page. With lazy loading, there’s no way to know where the post was in the list. Also, many pagination plugins include filters, so you can easily see certain categories, search by keywords, sort, etc. Since the content stays within a section that remains the same size, the pagination and filters are always at your fingertips.
However, if the user doesn’t need to find certain content, scrolling is better than scrolling and clicking. Lazing loading is better for mobile devices where the user just scrolls.
For more information about UX, see the articles Empathy in UX Design: How to Create a Website that Meets the Needs of Your Users and Top UX Metrics to Track for Your Website.
Which is Best for SEO?
For lazy loading to work, each loading session is seen as a loading index. Google sees each loading index as a separate page complete with individual URLs, tags, etc. This works well for SEO if the URL changes as the user scrolls. For example, it would add:
Example.com?page-1
Example.com?page-2
If your page does not adjust the URL as the next section loads, then it could confuse SEO. You can add the URL adjustments by choosing the option in your lazy loading plugin.
Pagination is also great for SEO. Each page is seen as a separate page with a unique URL that contains the number of that page. Pagination plugins add the page number as the user selects the page.
If they’re set up properly, both options provide excellent SEO, so both are equally good. Be sure to check the settings of the plugin for great SEO.
For more information about SEO, see the articles SEO for Web Developers and 22 SEO Tips for WordPress.
Use lazy loading when there’s nothing under the content section of the page. It’s ideal for content where searching or sorting isn’t needed, such as images and social media feeds. If users aren’t looking for something specific or don’t have a specific goal, they can just scroll and see what’s next. It keeps them on the site longer and encourages them to engage more with your website. Lazy loading is ideal for mobile devices.
Pagination is best for pages that have something under the content. It works best for any type of content where navigation and sorting are ideal, such as blog posts, products, podcasts, recipes, etc. It provides a great user experience. This is best if users want to find specific types of content. Pagination is ideal for desktops and tablets. Pagination is the method used here at the Verpex blog.
If you’re not sure which would work best for your website, use a/b testing to see which works best for your audience. You can also choose based on the type of content you provide or the types of devices your visitors use to view your website.